Tips For Better Mobile App Security.

Do you still consider app security as a feature or benefit? If yes, you are probably mistaken; it has become a bare necessity. As security breaches hit the headlines daily stating how cybercriminals can break-in, knowing your name, age, home address, account numbers, and even the current location precisely. The more digital activities we thrive for, the more are chances of getting hacked.

In the present scenario, apps and mobile devices turn out to be the best medium or targets for conducting malicious activities. Unfortunately, 50% of businesses don’t allocate a separate budget when it comes to mobile app security. This calls for double celebration for hackers. Well, down below I would like to mention a few aspects that might adversely impact on mobile apps security and ways you can deal with them.

1. Server Side Controls (weak)

For those who are non-techie, it is imperative to know whatever communication happens between the app and the user outside is through a server. As a result, hackers target the server on a primary basis. So what can be done is, ensure server-side security. Whether you wish to hire a specialized security expert in-house or make use of a testing tool or think of considering general precautions.

One of the easiest ways to secure your mobile application is to scan them. Use an automated scanner; I am sure it will bring out common issues that can be solved just with little effort.

2. Lack of Binary Protections

This one is for those who are techies. In case of absence of binary protection, you can reverse engineer the code of app to inject malware or redistribute the pirated application possibly with a threat. One of the significant concerns in mobile app security is that it can result in confidential data theft, brand and trust damage, frauds, revenue losses, etc.

Use binary hardening techniques where files can be easily analyzed and modified to protect against common exploits. As a result, the vulnerability can be fixed in the legacy code itself without the need for source code. Along with this, secure coding techniques for jailbreak detection controls, checksum controls, certificate pinning controls, and debugger detection controls.

3. Poor Authorization

Unfortunately, mobile internet connections are not as reliable as web connections. This means they might require offline authentication to maintain the uptime. Moreover, it might end up creating security loopholes that must be taken into consideration by developers.

So what can be done is- make use of an adversary that can brute force through the security logins in the offline mode and make operations on the app easier. Besides, you can even limit login only in the online mode; this will prevent operation on sensitive information. In case, if there is a specific business requirement to allow for offline authentication, then you can encrypt the app data that can be opened only with specific operations.

4. Improper Session Handling

In a layman’s language, the continuance of the previous session for a long period even if the end user has switched from the app is what improper session handling is all about. This practice can be dangerous especially if the phone is stolen. The person who gains access to this device can undertake control over the application and steal or manipulate important data.

So how to find a mid-way between speed and privacy protection? Again, use re-authentication for important actions like purchases or access to priority marked documents. Amazon mobile app is the best example of this issue.

5. Broken Cryptography

Mainly arises due to bad encryption or incorrect implementation; Broken cryptography allows hackers to decrypt the sensitive data to its original form and manipulate or steal it as per his/her convenience. Try using superior encryption protocols and proper implementation process to avoid any mistakes and perform encryption properly.